Annealing leer



- Jan. 5, 1937.

E. L. WALTERS ANNEALIN G LEER Filed May 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet Snentor EMMETT L. WALTEES. BE M -Gttorneg Patente d Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE &066376 ANNEALING LEEB Emmett L.

Walters, Toledo, Ohio, Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company,

assignor to Toledo,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 29, 1933, Serial No. 673329 9 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to the art of annealing and more particularly to improvements in annealing leers or ovens primarily adapted for the annealing of sheet glass, although it is of course not restricted to such use.

In annealing sheet glass, however, according to one well known method, the sheet is passed in a generally horizontal direction through a leer which is in the form of a relatively long tunnel and wherein it may be supported and carried along upon a series of spaced revolving rolls. During the passage of the sheet through the leer, the internal stresses and strains set up in the sheet during the formation thereof are adapted to be relieved and, in addition, the said sheet is gradually reduced from a relativelyhigh temperature to a temperature at which it can be readily handled. The leer is also usually heated in some suitable fashion, with the temperature therein being gradually reduced from the entrance end to the exit end thereof.

An important object of this invention resides in the provision of an annealing leer of the above general character embodying means for controlling the temperature therein, such means being particularly adapted for establishing and maintaining the proper temperature regulation throughout the length of the said leer. i

Another object of the invention is the proVision of an annealing leer having means associated therewith for reducing the temperature therein by increasing the radiation heat loss through the wall thereof and for likewise decreasing the radiation heat loss by Varying the insulation of the said wall to thereby regulate the escape of heat therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for controlling and regulating the amount of heat radiating from the leer embodying a series of louvers or shutters associated with the top and/or side walls of the leer o-utwardly thereof and being movable froman extreme insulatin'g position where they are out of contact with the leer to an extreme radiating position where they contact therewith. l

A further object of the invention consists in the arranging of the louvers or shutters into a plurality of separate groups operable independ- 5 ently of one another to control and regulate the insulating or radiating effect thereof upon any desired portion of the leer throughout the length thereof. i Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connectior with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a Vertical longitudinal section through an annealing leer provided by the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective elevation of a portion thereof,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the leer showing the temperature control means in' extreme insulating position,

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the temperature control means in an intermediate position,

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the temperature control means in extreme radiating position,

and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View through the leer showing an alternative arrangement of the invention. V

Referring now to the drawings, the annealing leer illustrated therein is designated in its entirety by the numeral ll), said'leer being preferably of tunnel-like formation and including a bottom H, spaced vertical side walls IZ, and a horizontal top 13.

Arranged within the leer for supporting and conveying the `glass sheet M therethrough are a plurality of horizontally aligned rotatable rolls !5, the shafts or trunnions [6 of which project through bearing members l'l mounted in the opposite side walls IZ of the leer. These rolls are preferably positively driven in unison in any preferred or well known manner to adVance the sheet through the leer.

Ordinarily, the sheet when entering the annealing leer is relatively hot and, in addition to the heat of the sheet, the leer may be further heated by a plurality of spaced burner pipes !8 extendin transversely thereof so that the sheet is not passed into a chamber whose temperature is much cooler than the chambers in which the said sheet is formed. The temperature of the leer is gradually reduced from the entrance end to the exit end thereof so that when the Sheet passes out of the leer it can be Conveniently handled.

In accordance with the present invention, there is positioned above the top !3 of the leer !0 a series of horizontally disposed metallic louvers or shutters s which may be arranged l throughout the entire length of the leer or over any desired portion thereof. These louvers are in the form of substantially flat double-winged bafile plates of relatively narrow width and which extend transvrsely of the leer substantially the entire width thereof. The bame plates each have a central longitudinally extending opening formed therethrough -for receiving a. horizontal pivot shaft 20, said shafts projecting at opposite ends beyond the said plates and being rotatably mounted within hearing brackets 2| carried by the leer at' the opposite sides thereof.

The bame plates l9 are of such a widththat When they are moved into horizontal alignment with one another, as shown in Fig. 3, the arijacent edges of adjoining plates will be in substantial contact With one another so as to pro-` vide a substantially continuous unbroken cover ;for the top of the leer. On the other hand, the bame plates may be moved to assume a substantially vertical position as in Fig. 5, and when in such position the said plates are disposed in parallel relation with respect to one` another,

with' the lower ;edges thereof in contact with the' upper surface of thetop of the leer. Like wise, the bafiies may be moved'to assume any desired position intermediate their'horizontal position and vertical position, one intermediate position being illustrated in Fig. `4: wherein the baiiies arearranged in aninclined positionwith the bottom* edges thereof spaced from the top of the leer.

`Also carried upon the top of the leer and extending longitudinally at opposite sides thereof are the vertical side boards 22, said boards being arranged inwardly of the bearing brackets 2| and of such a height that they extend beneath the pivot shafts 20. These side boards are positioned outwardly of, ,the opposite ends of the baiile plates !9 so as not to interfere with the pivoting of the said plates upon shafts 20.

In carrying the invention into practice, when the baiiieplates |9 are moved into substantial horizontal' alignment with one another as in Fig, 3, they cooperate with the top |3 of the leer and also with the vertical side boards 22 to form a substantially dead air space' or inert air strata above the leer. This position may therefore be called the extreme insulating position in that the creation of the deadair space between the top of the leer and the bame plates serves in the nature of insulation to reduce to aminimum radiation heat loss through thetop wall of said leer. When the `bafiie plates are moved to an inclined position as in Fig. 4, the insulation of the leer wall is lessened in that air Currents are now permitted to pass between the plates and' come into contact with the leer in an amount determined by the angular position of the said plates. On the other hand, when 'the bames` are moved to a vertical position, as in Fig. 5, the lower edges thereof contact with thetop of 'the leer so that the plates will serve to carry away heat which is radiated by this additional surface to the atmosphere. In addition, air currents are allowed to pass between ;the plates and come in contact with the leer wall.. consequently,this'position' is termed the extreme radiating, position. e e U From the above, it will be seen that the bame plates l9 are movable either to an extreme insulating position or to an, extremeradiatingposition, witha series of intermediate positions being possible between these two extremes. As

a result, it is possible,' by proper adjus'tment of the baffies, to efiectively and efliciently control the temperature within the leer by establishing and maintaining the proper temperature regulation throughout the entire length of said leer the wall thereof or, if desired, the radiationheat loss may be reduced to a minimum by moving the bafiies to extreme insulating position. In other words, it is possible to regulatethe escape of heat through the leer wall by varying the insulation of the wall upon proper adjustment of the baflie plates.

I'n actual operation, it may be found desirable, in orderto effect the proper temperature regulation throughout the length of the leer, to move the bame plates above one portion or section of the leer to extreme radiating position to reduce the temperature therein; the bame plates above another portion of the leer to extreme insulating position to reduce to a minimum radiation heat loss; and over still another portion of the leer to move the baflie plates to an intermediate position. `In order that this may be readily andcon veniently accomplishe'd, the baflies are preferably divided into a plurality ofgroups actuated independently of one another, with the battles 'in each group moving as a unit. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2,

the pivot shafts 20 project at one side of the leer beyond the bearing brackets 2| and have 'keyed thereto sprockets 23. Trained around the sprock ets of any desired number of bafiies |9 is a sprocket chain 24, said chainalso meshing with a sprocket 25 fixed to' shaft 26 which also carries an operating hand wheel 21. Upon turning ofthishand wheel, the baflies of the respective 'group may be simultaneously actuated to assume any desired position. By dividing the baflies into a plurality OfindependentIy operable groups, it is possible to more efiectively and efliciently'regulate and control the temperature at different portions of the leer throughout the length thereof.' For instance,-

upon reference to Fig; 1, it will be'notedthat one set of baflies, indicated at A, may be moved to extreme insulating position, while other sets B and C' may be moved to assume difl'erent intermediate positions or to extreme radiating position if preferred. o i

This invention also contemplates the provision of means for a controlling radiation heat lass throughthe side walls of the leer if desired. Thus, as illustrated inFig. 6, a series 01' louvers or shutters 28, corresponding to the louvers I!! above described, maybe arranged at either one or both sides of the leer. the same Construction and These louvers are of operate in' the same i that they are disposed ina substantially vertical position rather than in a horizontal position. The louvers28 are, carried by` vertical pivotshafts 29 rotatably` supported at opposite ends in bear'ng brackets 30 carried: by the respective side wall of the leer. Arranged ;inwardly of the bearing brackets and extending longitudinally of the leer are the horizontal sidefboards a which cooperate with the louvers extreme 'insulating position, to provide a sub& stantially dead air space between thesaid louvers and the respective side wall of the leer. The lou- Vers 28 may also be moved to an extreme radiat-` ing position where they contact with the respective side wall of the leer or'to anfintermediat position. i i

While the present invention has been illustrated and described, inconnection with an annealing leer of tunnel-like Iormation, yet it will b'readily appreciated that the principle of' the`invention 28, whenthe latter are moved to may also be applied to other types of leers as well as to difierent types of furnaces.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of a plurality of movable members arranged outwardly of said chamber in opposed relation to one wall thereof for varying the insulation of the said wall, and means for moving said members into and out of contact with the wall.

2. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of a plurality of movable members arranged outwardly of said chamber in opposed relation to one wall thereof for Varying the insulation of said wall, and means for moving said members to assume either a substantially horizontal position where they are out of contact with the wall or a substantially vertical position where they contact with said wall.

3. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of a plurality of members arranged outwardly of said chamber in opposed relation to one Wall thereof and movable to assume different positions, said members, when in one position, being out of contact with the wall and when in another position in contact therewith.

4. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of a plurality of pivotally mounted members arranged outwardly of said chamber in opposed relation to one wall thereof and movable to assume a position either in substantial alignment with one another or substantially parallel with one another, said members, when in substantial alignment, being spaced from the wall and when in substantially parallel position in contact therewith.

5. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of means or controlling and regulating the amount of radiation heat loss through one wall thereof including a series of movable plates extending transversely of the chamber outwardly thereof and in opposed relation to said wall, means for pivotally mounting said plates, and means for moving the plates from an extreme insulating position Where they are out of contact with the wall to an extreme radiating position where they contact therewith.

6. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of means for varying the insulation of one wall thereof including a plurality of double-winged baflie plates extending transversely of the chamber in opposed relation to said wall, means for pivotally mounting said plates, and means for moving the plates into substantial alignment with one another in spaced relation to the wall or into a position at substantially right angles with respect thereto to bring one edge of each plate into contact with the said wall.

'7. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of a plurality of substantially rectangular parallel plates extending transversely substantially the entire width of the chamber outwardly of said chamber in opposed relation to one wall thereof, means for pivotally mounting said plates to turn about axes extending transversely of the chamber, said plates being movable to a substantially horizontal position where they will be in substantial alignment with one another, and side boards extending longitudinally of the chamber at opposite ends of said plates and cooperating therewith to form a substantially dead air space between the said plates and wall when the plates are moved to horizontal position.

8. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formation including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of means for controlling and regulating the amount of radiation heat loss through one wall thereof including a plurality of substantially rectangular parallel plates extending transversely substantially the entire width of the chamber outwardly thereof and in opposed relation to said wall, means for pivotally mounting said plates to turn about axes extending transversely of the chamber, and means for moving the plates to assume either a substantially horizontal position where they will be in substantial alignment with one another and out of contact with the wall or a substantially vertical position where they will be substantially parallel with one another and in contact with said wall.

9. The combination with a heated chamber of substantially tunnel-like formaton including a bottom, side walls, and a top, of means for controlling and regulating the amount of radiation heat loss through one wall thereoi? including a. plurality of substantially rectangular parallel plates extending transversely substantially the entire width of the chamber outwardly thereof and in opposed relation to said wall, means for pivotally mounting said plates to turn about axes extending transversely of the chamber, means for moving the plates to assume either a substantially horizontal position where they will be in substantial algnment with one another and out of contact with the wall or a substantially Vertical position where they will be substantially parallel with one another and in contact with said wall, and side boards extending longitudinally of the chamber at opposite ends of said plates and cooperating therewith to form a substantially dead air space between the said plates and wall when the plates are moved to horizontal position.

EMMETT L. WALTERS. 

